


Royals in a magic castle

by Carola_dl



Category: The Royals (TV 2015)
Genre: F/M, Harry Potter AU, Mention of Eleanor / Jasper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2019-02-18 13:15:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13100934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carola_dl/pseuds/Carola_dl
Summary: Willow can’t believe what she’s hearing. “Are you telling me the future king of England is a wizard?” The boy simply nods. “Does England know?”"The muggles? No!"(AU fic where Willow and the young Henstridges study magic in Hogwarts)





	1. Every Flavor Beans

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, I worked on it some weeks ago and was very close to abandoning it - but I decided to finish it and share it here, as a Christmas present! And I'm happy I did because it's personally my favorite one yet. I am a big HP Fan so it was very fun to put these characters in that magical castle.
> 
> Enjoy it! Merry Christmas!

**_Royals in a magic castle._ **

1: Every Flavor Beans

She reads the first pages of _Hogwarts: a History_ at least three times because she keeps forgetting it isn’t a fairy tale. There are few things a child wants to hear more than “ _magic is real”_ but Willow, who hasn’t turned eleven yet, is too rational for such tales.

She believes it _now_ \- but only because a teacher came to her house and used a wood stick to turn her old teddy bear in an ugly guinea pig. Even so, sometimes, when she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, she fears she’s going to open them and find herself in her bedroom – far away from the magic train that’s taking her to an even more magical school.

She looks at the cage where her brown owl sleeps. He has been sleeping since the moment she arrived at the train, and Willow laments that they didn’t have any talking animal at the Owl Emporium. A good conversation could calm her nerves now.

The noise outside her compartment suddenly becomes loud and raucous. She hesitates for a moment, with the silly feeling that she’s safer between the four walls of her compartment. Her curiosity wins out and she opens the door to look outside. The hall, that was half-empty ten minutes ago, is now full of young students that gather around one compartment in particular.

Willow stretches out her neck but she can only see the crown of a brown-haired head in the middle of a circle formed by students. Willow looks at the other end of the hall and sees a blue-eyed blond boy with his pockets full of candy trying to make his way in the crowd. When he passes by her side, she asks him:

“What’s happening there?”

“Oh, it’s just Robert.” He answers as if whatever was happening was the most boring thing he has ever witnessed. The blond boy points at the boy in the middle – a handsome young man with a charming smile that couldn’t be much older than her.

“Who’s Robert?” Willow asks, confused.

“You know, the prince. The _future_ king.”

Willow blinks, surprised. She can’t believe what she’s hearing. “Are you telling me the future king of England is a wizard?” The boy simply nods. “Does England know?”

“The muggles? No! He would lose the crown if they knew. They’re scared of unknown powers. That’s what my mother always says. So they think he’s going to a boring boarding school in Scotland, which is more or less true – minus the boring part. The King is actually a muggle, he married a witch so their children were born with magical abilities. I am sure Robert will find a way to use his magic to his advantage once he becomes king.”

“And you call him by his name, Robert.”

“Well, I am his brother. If I can’t call him by his name, who can?”

The surprise on Willow’s face is even bigger than before, something the blond boy seems to enjoy. “Oh.” She says, speechless.

“People don’t usually recognize _me_ , but Robert? The press loves him. He’s in every tabloid cover. Where have you been living? Under the rocks?”

“No, in Argentina. We don’t have kings and princes there. I just moved here last year, I mean to London.”

“In that case, I will introduce myself. I’m Liam Henstridge, _the spare_.” He says with a mocking smile.

“I am Willow Moreno, it’s my first year here.”

“It’s my first year too. I have a twin sister, Eleanor, it’s her first year too, obviously. Robert is starting his third year.” He looks at the open door that’s behind Willow. “Are you in that compartment all by yourself?”

Willow nods.

Liam looks at the crowd that surrounds his brother and then, he takes a box of colorful beans out of his pocket. “Let’s make a deal. If you let me stay with you in your compartment, I will give you this box of Bertie Bott’s Every flavor beans.”

“Well, if it’s every flavor. How can I say no?”

“There’re too many people in my brother’s compartment and everyone keeps saying how great Robert is.” He makes a face and Willow laughs. “It gets tiring, you know? I just went to buy sweets because I needed to get out of there.”

“You’re welcome to my compartment, hopefully, nobody will think you’ve been kidnapped if you don’t return to your brother.” She says, stepping aside to let him in. Liam enters the compartment while he shakes his head.

“Believe me, when they have Robert, nobody cares about little me,” Liam says. Willow looks at him with pity. She’s sure he’s wrong, but she has never had a brother or a sister so she doesn’t know how it feels to be the unimportant sibling.

He walks toward the owl cage. “I think your owl is dead!”

“No. He’s just sleeping. I am starting to think he has narcolepsy.” Willow likes big words, in English and in Spanish. In some way, she collects them.

“What’s his name?” He asks, pointing at the owl.

“Nameless.”

“Well, you should give him a name.”

“No. His name is Nameless.”

Liam laughs. “A witty name.” He hands her the bag of Bertie Bott’s Every flavor beans. “As promised.” Willow accepts it, opens the bag and takes a yellow one that’s probably lemon.

It isn’t. It’s actually disgusting. She spits it in the palm of her hand and looks up at Liam with embarrassment. “I am sorry. It tastes like urine, they are probably expired.”

“No, the flavor is actually urine. My brother ate one of those once but I didn’t believe him.” Willow looks at him with raised brows. Is he joking? He smiles, but not with malice, quite the opposite. “Your parents are muggles, right?”

She nods. “Is that a bad thing?”

“No, not at all.”

+++

A silver sea lion protrudes from her chestnut wand and Willow almost jumps out of surprise and excitement. The animal flies on the air as if he were swimming in the sea and Willow follows it with her eyes wherever it goes. It’s simply beautiful – After weeks trying to cast a corporeal Patronus, she finally did it and now she has her own protective animal. She wasn’t expecting a Sea Lion, but she isn’t disappointed. The silver hue gives it a ghostly look and it really seems like a marine animal that wanted to fly and finally got his wish.

The sea lion does a pirouette on the air and vanishes. Liam, who’s standing at her side, puts a hand on her shoulder and laughs when the animal disappears.

“Congratulations! You did it! A Sea Lion! I am not surprised, they’re very intelligent animals.”

Willow smiles at him, thankful for his words. “I finally did it. Didn’t I?” She says in a whisper.

Liam nods. “What memory did you choose this time?”

Willow’s cheeks redden but she answers honestly, “The day we met… five years ago.” She feels her legs tremble, while she waits for Liam to say something. Does he realize she has just confessed her love for him?

He doesn’t look at her but he doesn’t waste too many seconds before answering either.

“Friendship is always a powerful emotion.” His words hit Willow strongly. Once again, he has rejected her softly. Willow nods, not wanting to look at him, and starts picking up her Defense Against The Dark Arts books. “What are you doing? Where are you going?” Liam asks.

“Thank you for your help, Liam, but I have prefect rounds tonight and I haven’t finished my potions essay.” She smiles at him, hoping he doesn’t notice she’s actually running away. “But I will see you tomorrow, right? In Transfiguration?”

“Yes, of course. See you tomorrow.” Liam says, still confused.

Willow leaves Liam in the empty classroom and walks toward the moving stairs. She hugs her books to her chest and takes a deep breath. She’s happy that she finally cast a Patronus but at the same time, she feels mortified because of her humiliating confession.

“When are you going to accept that he doesn’t love you?” She asks herself in a whisper.

She keeps walking towards the Ravenclaw tower, taking the fastest routes and the emptiest halls. While she’s crossing the first floor, Princess Eleanor comes from nowhere – or that’s how it looks to Willow – and pushes her into the girls’ bathroom with little care. She closes the door behind her and smiles at Willow.

Still surprised by the sudden assault, Willow doesn’t realize that she has dropped her books to the floor. Before she can kneel down to gather them, the princess does it for her. She picks them one by one and hands them to her.

“I am sorry,” The princess apologizes, and Willow has to admit she sounds sorry. “I just wanted… to say Happy Birthday! Today is your birthday, right? You’re turning 15, right?”

“No, and it won’t be until the first Friday of December.” Willow frowns. It’s obvious Eleanor didn’t push her into the girls’ bathroom to talk about her no-birthday.

“I see,” Eleanor says, lamely. Willow looks at her expectantly. She doesn’t dislike Eleanor but they’re not exactly friends. The only time they spent time together was because Liam was with them. “Yeah, I think that’s what Liam said. I’m just so bad at memorizing numbers.”

“Do you need something? I have to go to my common room and…” Willow starts, hoping she isn’t being too impolite.

Eleanor smiles. “Well, yes, I do need something: A friend. It has come to my attention that I don’t have any female friends… the Gryffindor girls of my year are very annoying. Anyway, Liam seems to be very happy with your… friendship services and I need a little bit of that.”

“I am not sure I am following you. Do you need advice?”

“Exactly!”

“Okay. What’s the problem?”

“I am dating someone,” Eleanor says, sheepishly. Willow waits for her to explain further but Eleanor doesn’t say anything else.

“Congratulations? I don’t know how I can help you there.”

“Aren’t you going to ask me who he is?”

“Would you tell me?” Willow asks, confused.

“Of course, as I said: I need a friend who’s a girl. We can exchange gossips and talk about boys. I will even let you talk to me about your crush on Liam.”

“I don’t have a crush on Liam. We’re just friends.”

Eleanor smiles, “Come on. My dear brother is a little dense but I know better. I have seen how you look at him. It’s adorable.” Eleanor sees Willow’s horrified expression and rushes to add, “Don’t worry. We’re friends now, right? I won’t tell him.”

“We were talking about you. So who is… your new boyfriend?”

“Jasper Frost,” Eleanor says with a big smile.

“The guy from Slytherin?”

“The one and only.”

“Good. He seems… okay, I don’t have any opinion on him.”

Eleanor frowns. “I thought you would be better at this. Shouldn’t you be excited for me and say that he’s handsome, clever and mysterious?”

“Wouldn’t it be weird if a friend told you she finds your boyfriend attractive? And I don’t know if he’s intelligent, I don't pay attention to him in class. Also, is being mysterious a good thing? I always thought secrets weren’t good for a relationship.”

“Whatever. It doesn’t matter. My problem here is that I am pretty sure Robert won’t accept him, so I need your help.”

“You know my best friend is Liam, not Robert, right? Robert doesn’t even know I exist.”

A shrill scream suddenly interrupts their conversation, and a translucent head pops up from the top of the toilets.

“Princess Eleanor! Did you come to visit me? I heard you mentioned your brother Prince Robert. I hope he will join you here shortly.”

Willow jumps, startled by the new sudden presence, but Eleanor only rolls her eyes. Willow looks at the owner of the voice and immediately recognizes Moaning Myrtle. She hadn’t even realized they were in her bathroom – a place Willow usually tries to avoid.

“I will tell him you want to see him, Myrtle,” Eleanor says with a boring tone. “My friend and I are talking about secrets. I hope you won’t tell Robert about this.”

“I’m sorry, princess, but Robert and I don’t have secrets.”

“That’s a pity. Robert would never give the time of day to a ghost who betrays his dear sister’s trust. Not even if it was to his advantage. I thought we were friends, Myrtle. This is such a disappointment. I wonder what will Robert say once he learns you destroyed our friendship.”

“No! Princess Eleanor, that’s not true. We’re good friends! I won’t tell him anything… if you tell him to come visit me.”

Eleanor smiles, “I will tell him. I promise.” Eleanor takes Willow’s arms and guides her to one corner of the bathroom, as far away from Myrtle as possible. “Sorry, I thought a ghost overhearing us would be better than the other students. Now I am not so sure.”

“I still don’t understand what you want me to do,” Willow says, honestly.

“You know Liam and Robert are always competing, right? They find joy contradicting the other. If Robert thinks Liam doesn’t accept Jasper, then Robert will give him his blessing – just to be contradictory. The truth is that Jasper is a good friend of Liam.” Eleanor smiles, “I only need you to tell Robert that Liam doesn’t want Jasper to date me and _voilá!_ ”

“Why do you talk as if I have Robert’s ear? I have never exchanged more than two words with him.”

“I know that. That’s why it has to be you. You don’t have any reason to lie to him, you’re a stranger, after all.”

“Why don’t you ask Kathryn, his girlfriend?”

“She wouldn’t lie to him for me.”

“Eleanor, I think it’s my duty as your recently appointed friend to let you know that this plan of yours is completely absurd.”

“But will you do it?”

Willow sighs, “I will try.” She doesn’t really know how. She has never talked to Robert. They’re from different years and stopping him in the middle of the halls to tell him about his sister’s new relationship seems quite awkward.

+++

Her day turns even more ridiculous at night, during her prefect round. She has almost forgotten Eleanor’s plea when she sees two figures hugging (and probably more than hugging) against a corner.

“Lumus!” Willow exclaims, pointing her wand at the couple. The light reveals the faces of Prince Robert Henstridge and his girlfriend Kathryn Davies. _Fuck._ “It’s after hours, you both should be in your respective common rooms.”

The couple puts some distance between them, although not much, and Robert turns around to look at Willow, or more specifically, at her prefect’s badge.

“Well, we can’t kiss if we are in our respective common rooms,” Robert answers with a confident smile.

“The day has plenty of hours for those activities. Five points from Gryffindor and five points from Hufflepuff.”

“You can’t take points for kissing!” Kathryn exclaims.

“I didn’t take points for kissing, I took points because you two were out of your common rooms after hours.”

Robert, surprisingly, chuckles. “You know who I am, right?”

“Yes, _your highness,_ and as the future king of England you should know that rules are important.”

He looks at her with something that’s closer to admiration than to reproach. He smiles, like the politician he is and takes a step toward Willow – without dropping Kathryn’s hand at any moment. For a second, Willow is envious of their relationship, of the unconscious protectiveness he transmits. If Liam could treat her with the same tenderness…

“Okay, you win.” Robert accedes. “Can I walk her to her common room?”

Willow is surprised by his chivalrous question. He’s a Gryffindor, without a doubt. For a moment again, she feels envious of the consideration that Robert shows for Kathryn.

“Yes, but I will go with you two.”

“Is that necessary?” Kathryn asks, hiding her displeasure behind a sweet voice.

“Yes. If not, how can I be sure that you won’t go looking for another corner?”

Surprising her once again, Robert _laughs._ “You’re more than welcome to join us… to the Hufflepuff’s basement, I mean.”

The walk to the Hufflepuff’s quarters is positively uncomfortable and Willow knows she can’t blame anyone but herself. Robert and Kathryn walk holding hands and neither of them tries to start a conversation. Willow thinks about different topics of conversation and even Eleanor’s petition comes to mind, but she knows it’s not the time. Not in front of Kathryn, so she lets the silence reign.

“Here we are,” Robert says, stopping in front of the Hufflepuff’s entrance. He bends over Kathryn to kiss her goodbye. Willow turns around to give them some privacy. She still hears Kathryn’s sweet words of goodbye, the sound of four taps on a barrel, and how the door opens and closes.

When she turns around once again, only Robert Henstridge is standing behind her.

“I suppose you’re going to walk me to my house to make sure I don’t cause any more mayhem.” He says with sarcasm but a complacent smile.

Willow glares at him, but nods. “Believe me, I would rather be sleeping in my bed.”

“You’re the first person who admits that my company is anything less than agreeable.”

“Don’t take it personally. It has been a long day.” Willow says as they both walk back towards the Gryffindor tower. They’ve walked in silence for several minutes when Willow decides to fulfill her promise to Eleanor, “What do you think of Eleanor’s new boyfriend? Do you like him?”

Willow looks at him, expecting a sore expression, but the only sign that indicates he didn’t like the news at all was a slightly raised brow. If it weren’t for it, Willow would’ve believed he was completely indifferent to his sister’s affairs. It was impressive how easily he controlled his emotions – he was so different from Liam, who was expressive and impulsive.

“I didn’t know she had a new one. Do I know him?”

“It’s Jasper Frost.”

Willow tries to study his facial expressions as if he was a portrait in a muggle museum. She notices how he half closes his eyes for a second. It’s an instant that goes as fast as it came.

“The Slytherin?”

“Yes. Is that a problem? Liam thinks…” Willow hesitates and she doesn’t understand exactly why. She and Robert aren’t friends. Why is it so difficult for her to lie to him? She supposes the problem isn’t him but the lie in itself. She hates lies. She hates to deceive. “Well, Liam is a good friend of Jasper.”

Robert laughs. “I’m not surprised. He’s never been good at choosing friends.” He stops, realizing what he had just said. “Excluding present company, of course.”

Willow forces a smile but for the first time, she understands why Liam dislikes his brother Robert so much. “You don’t like him because he’s a Slytherin.”

“I don’t like him because his mother is a Death Eater fantasist and his father is a muggle con artist. As you can see, he doesn’t have the best references to become the princess’ boyfriend. I suppose you’re going to accuse me of being a snob.”

“No. I understand.” Willow answers, “I don’t like it, but I understand it. Still, she’s attending a school England doesn’t know exists. Can’t she date someone England doesn’t know exists?”

Robert stops in his tracks and looks at her as if she were the strangest creature he has ever seen. Willow can’t help but feel nervous under the scrutiny of his stare.

“You’re right.” He says in a low voice. “And I don’t usually say these words to almost anyone.”

Willow smiles, although she doesn’t know if the compliment pleases her or annoys her. She’s sure of something, though. Today was indeed a weird day. If someone had told her that morning that she would be talking to the future king of England in one of the empty halls of Hogwarts, during the night, she wouldn’t have believed it.

+++

Life goes back to its normal routine. At least as normal as life can be in a place like Hogwarts. She doesn’t talk to Robert again, although she sees him in the Great Hall, always surrounded by friends and even fans.

Eleanor calls her a “Miracle Worker” and mockingly tells her that she will hire her as Robert’s first advisor as soon as they graduate from Hogwarts. Willow shakes her head while she looks at the calm waters of the lake.

“No one, hear me, no one has ever changed Robert’s mind before. And it was so easy for you!” Eleanor says, sitting between her and Liam on the grass.

“I just made him see that he wasn’t being logical!” Willow says in something that sounds like a defense, even when Eleanor is complimenting her.

“Logic!” Eleanor exclaims. “If I had known before that logic was all it took!”

“I am sorry my sister forced you to talk to Robert. That’s always a torture.” Liam says, shaking his head.

Willow laughs, “He’s not that bad.”

Liam looks at her as if she had grown a second head, “You can’t be serious. Please, tell me you don’t like him.”

“I am only saying I don’t dislike him. He’s a little bit arrogant, but he’s okay.”

Eleanor nods, in agreement. “He has his good moments.” She hits Liam in the arm. “Not everyone hates him like you do. I actually love my big brother.”

“You love everyone, Len.” Liam answers. Willow smiles, enjoying the brotherly banter. Liam points at her as if he was ready to tell her something very important. “But you… You’re too intelligent so don’t fall for him.”

“If this were a movie, you have just condemned them to a long happy life together,” Eleanor tells Liam and Willow shakes her head, amused.

Willow adopts a serious expression. “I don’t know if I will be able to ignore his charms, but I will try.” Willow stands up. “Well, crazy kids. I have a Quidditch match to win.”

“It’s in one hour.” Eleanor reminds her.

“I know that, but I still have to change clothes and we have to get there early, so our captain can give us a long motivational speech.”

“I will cheer for you,” Liam tells her.

“He won’t. He’s such a liar. I’m sorry, Willow, but you’re playing against Gryffindor. House pride and all that.” Eleanor says with a big smile. “Also, Robbie would kill me if I don’t cheer for him.”

“She’s made a damn banner. It changes color.” Liam says with a sour face.

“I learned the spell yesterday.”

+++

Due to her strict punctuality, Willow is the first one from her team to reach the Quidditch pitch. She’s surprised to realize that the whole Gryffindor team is already there, training. There are already some girls cheering for the team, even when the match hasn’t started yet. Most of them shout Robert’s name, and Willow is pretty sure he can’t hear them from that distance.

“Do they always train before a match?”

A blond girl, whose name Willow can’t remember, nods at her. “Yes. Prince Robert is a very strict captain. That’s why they’re the best.”

“The Quidditch cup hasn’t been won yet,” Willow says with a little bit of resentment, but the girls aren’t paying attention to her anymore. Robert has landed his broom on the ground and he’s walking towards them.

The girls try to repress an excited scream. To his fans’ disappointment, and to Willow’s surprise, Robert approaches her and not his club of fans.

“How’s my favorite prefect?” He asks, with a charming smile.

“Too early for the match.”

“I would say good luck, but that would be counterproductive for me.”

“Let’s hope the best one wins.” Willow answers with a smile.

Robert smiles back and in that exact moment, Willow understands why he has such an effect on the female population of Hogwarts. He nods at her, saying goodbye without words. This time, Willow – and his club of fans – follow him with her eyes.

+++

As everyone expected, Gryffindor is winning. Robert, who is the keeper, stops almost all the quaffles that come his way, and Willow grows impatient. She wants to win. She drives her broom to the other side of the pitch, following the quaffle. Willow sees her captain talking with the beaters but she tries not to get distracted. She needs to take back the ball from the hands of the Gryffindors.

Finally, one of the other Ravenclaw chasers gets the quaffle and passes it to Willow. She flies towards Robert, as fast as she can. She tries to avoid Robert’s intense stare and pay attention to the hoops behind his back. Once she has found the perfect angle, she throws the quaffle.

And suddenly, time seems to slow down. She can see every second in slow motion. First, a bludger hits Robert but he doesn’t fall from his broom, one of his hands still grabs the broomstick strongly. The bludger displaces him to his right and the quaffle – _her_ quaffle – impacts against his stomach, leaving him breathless. This time, he falls and falls and falls… until his body is only a small and unmoving figure on the grass.

Willow looks in horror and thinks: _I just killed the future king of England._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued...
> 
> Yes, it has a second chapter and it has more interaction between Robert and Willow!


	2. Heart-shaped cakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here it is the continuation. Enjoy!

2: Heart-shaped cakes

He’s not dead – although he looks the part with his closed eyes and his pale face. In the infirmary, Willow sits in a chair by his bed, looking at his semblance with anxiousness. She has been waiting a few hours, too many, and during that time she has asked Madame Pomfrey several times if she was sure he was going to wake up. The answer was always yes.

During the first minutes, a group of fans surrounded his bed but Madame Pomfrey threw them all out because her patient needed to rest. She only allowed Willow to stay because she was so stressed that she could be counted as one of her patients.

When he finally opens his eyes, Willow moves her chair closer to the bed.

Robert looks around the infirmary, confused, and in that exact moment, Willow realizes she doesn’t know what to say, besides…

“I’m sorry.”

Robert looks at her with half-closed eyes and Willow wonders if he even knows who she is. “What are you…?” He clears his throat. “What are you sorry for?”

“I almost killed you." Willow says in a nervous rant.

“Oh.” Robert says, touching his forehead, and for a second Willow fears that that’s everything he’s going to say. “I’m not that easy to kill.”

“Still… I apologize. I wasn’t trying to…”

“To kill me?” He asks with an amused smile. Willow nods and she’s going to apologize for a second time when the doors of the infirmary open, slamming against the walls.

Kathryn Davies walks into the infirmary with fast steps, she looks worried and devastated. “Robert! I just heard… How are you? You look fine. Are you fine?”

Willow crosses her arms, feeling out of place, and pushes her chair farther away, trying to blend with the background. She looks at Robert and is surprised to see that he has closed his eyes and is touching his head as if he had a headache.

When Kathryn puts her hands on the edge of his bed, he opens his eyes, and without looking at anyone he demands. “Go away.”

Willow stands up with urgency, understanding at once that Robert wants to be alone with his girlfriend. “Yes, of course. I will just…”

“Not you.” He looks at Kathryn with hostility. “ _You_.”

“Robert, please…”

“I don’t want to talk to you.”

“I know, but… you have to understand I...” Kathryn suddenly stops, as if she had just realized she and Robert weren’t alone in the room. She looks at Willow with a nervous and embarrassed expression. “Would you mind…?”

“She is _not_ leaving,” Robert says with authority. “We’re talking. We were having a very interesting conversation… so can _you_ leave so we can continue that conversation?”

Willow wouldn’t call the words they were exchanging ‘a conversation’ but still, she stays. Kathryn visibly deflates as she nods, looking small and defeated. Willow can’t help but feel pity for her, even when she doesn’t know what has happened between the two of them. Kathryn looks at her with surprise and even resentment, but considering the circumstances, Willow can’t blame her for the harshness of her glare. After taking a deep breath, Kathryn turns around and leaves the room.

Robert looks at Willow. The anger in his eyes has completely disappeared and he looks like a man without a care in the world. “What were we talking about?”

“I said sorry. You said you weren’t easy to kill.” Willow shrugs. “It looked like our conversation was over, there’s nothing else to say.”

“Right.” Robert says and Willow wonders if that means she can go now. She feels silly, waiting for the prince to dismiss her as if they were stuck in medieval times. “I’m sorry you had to witness that. Aren’t you going to ask me why we broke up?”

“I don’t think it’s my business. Do people usually ask you such private questions?”

“You would be surprised. I’m the crown prince, so people assume my life is public domain. I suppose they’re partly right.”

“They aren’t,” Willow answers with confidence.

He smiles at her and the silence suddenly becomes too unbearable. “Are you going with Liam to Hogsmeade this weekend?”

Willow looks up, surprised by that question. “Yes, we always go.” This time, Robert doesn’t bother to hide his feeling and she can see clearly the surprise in his eyes. Why? He knows she’s friends with Liam, why is the fact that she’s going to Hogsmeade with Liam something so unexpected for him? The stare in his face offends her, so she rushes to add, “It’s like tradition. We’ve been going since the third year, especially when it snows.”

He nods, still pensive, and Willow wonders if he was thinking about inviting her to Hogsmeade. She immediately gets rid of that absurd thought. Robert Henstridge is obviously not interested in her.

“So… I have to go.” Willow lies. She simply doesn’t know what else to say to him and his presence makes her nervous. “Again, sorry, and I’m happy you’re in one piece.”

Robert grins at her and Willow feels the urgent need to leave the infirmary immediately. He nods at her in a silent goodbye and Willow, returning the nod, walks away in what she hopes it’s a dignified exit.

+++

She stirs the Amortentia one last time and lets it repose. She looks at the thick liquid with anxiousness, hoping she hasn’t stirred too fast or too slow. Liam, who’s sitting on the desk next to her, bends over her cauldron.

“It smells like fresh grass. Do you smell that?”

“No, because Amortentia smells differently for every person, depending on what you love.” _or who you love_ – she adds in her mind. She smells the fragrance of her potion. “For example, for me, it smells like a recently opened box of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans.”

“Your obsession is showing,” Liam says, smiling. Willow tries to hide her flushed face with her hair, as she realizes once again that the memory of the time she met Liam is influencing her magic. She’s grateful that Liam doesn’t realize the connection.

“Yes, well, I will buy supplies for the rest of the year once we go to Honeydukes this weekend.”

“About that, I won’t be able to go with you.”

Willow feels as if her body had been struck by a Pretificus Totalus spell. She fights the need to stir her potion or do something with her hands – being active helps her to focus, and now it would also serve as an excuse to not look him in the eye.

“Oh. Why’s that?” She braves a look at him, and she’s astonished by his bright smile. He’s radiating happiness.

“I have a date.”

Willow blinks, hoping she heard wrong. “So there’s a girl.”

“There’s a girl, but don’t ask me who she is, please.” Liam pleads.

“Why?” Willow thinks about how different Liam and Eleanor are – one shared her secrets with her when they weren’t even friends, and the other, her friend since she was 11 years old, doesn’t seem to trust her enough to give her the name of the girl he likes.

“It’s too soon for her, she just broke up with her boyfriend after a long and complicated relationship, so she doesn’t want the whole school to know about us, at least not yet.”

Willow nods and tries to fake cheerfulness, “Liam, did you steal someone else’s girlfriend?” She asks, mocking him with her smile.

It’s only a joke, but Liam seems appalled by it. “No. That’s not… maybe, I don’t know, I suppose it doesn’t really matter anymore.” Willow frowns, feeling now more intrigued than ever. Liam recognizes Willow’s expression and shakes his head, “I can’t tell you anything. I really can’t.”

“Ok, but remember that secrets in this castle… they don’t usually end well.”

Liam nods, looking genuinely worried, “I promise that you will be the first to know, okay?” He starts stirring his potion too fast but Willow can’t find the strength in her to correct him, “Well, you’ll be the second to know.”

“The second? Who’s the first?”

“Her ex-boyfriend already knows.”

Willow nods. “That’s fair.” She says. And, naively, she thinks: _Good, that will save us from a lot of melodrama._

+++

A layer of snow already covers Hogsmeade. Willow isn’t sure if the beautiful landscape lifts her spirits up or drowns her with melancholy. Liam and Eleanor have romantic dates, and her friends from Ravenclaw are going to the haunted house, something that doesn’t interest Willow in the least, so she decides to go alone and convinces herself that she will have fun on her own.

She feels lighter and almost cheerful when she enters Honeydukes – the sweets' shop always has that effect on her. She tries to forget about the multiple times she bought sweets there with Liam and tries to focus on the colorful shelves and the intoxicating smell. She goes from one corner of the shop to the other, looking for the most appetizing sweets – but she finds Robert Henstridge instead.

He’s conversing with one of his friends in the line, and Willow turns around, trying to avoid him – although she doesn’t really know why. She’s walking away when he catches her with the corner of his eye:

“Willlow!” He shouts at her, and Willow freezes. It’s the first time he has said her name, at least that she can remember. She has wondered plenty of times if he knew it – she supposes she has her answer now. “Where’s Liam?” He asks, walking toward her.

“He has a date.”

Robert raises a brow as if that answer amused him, “So you lied to me.”

Willow frowns in confusion, “What do you…?” But then, she remembers their conversation in the infirmary and shakes her head. “I didn’t know I was lying at the time. Liam didn’t tell me about his date until two days later.”

“I see,” Robert says. It looks like he’s going to say something else so Willow waits in front of him, and the silence stretches out and becomes quite uncomfortable.

“Well, at least I have my sweets.” She raises the hand that has her bag of Every Flavor Beans and immediately feels ashamed of its big size. “Yes, they could feed a whole army. Don’t judge me, the winter is going to be cold and long, and it hasn’t even started yet.” She tries to laugh, to hide her awkwardness, and promptly regrets her absurd joke.

He doesn’t laugh, but he doesn’t erase his complacent smile, either. Willow tries to figure out what he’s thinking, she’s usually good at that, but Robert’s face doesn’t betray any emotion. She supposes that’s an important skill for a sovereign.

“If you’re alone, you can come with us to the Three Broomsticks.” He points at his friend, who’s still waiting in line.

She doesn’t understand him – and in part, that makes her intrigued. She has always been good at reading people, at guessing their wants and needs, but with Robert is different. He’s a hieroglyphic one needs to decipher. His smiles are his best weapon; his silence, his best defense; and his wit, a game that could turn sour at any moment. She doesn’t trust him and at the same time, she doesn’t distrust him. Maybe it’s because Liam hates him, Eleanor loves him and Willow’s a Ravenclaw who loves puzzles.

For whatever reason, she accepts, “Okay, yes, I would like that.”

+++

She feels a little bit less ashamed of her gluttony when she notices that Robert and his friend – who he introduced as Beck – are also carrying big bags of sweets.

During the walk to the Three Broomsticks, she wonders what kind of conversation one has with a crown prince over butterbeer. It’s absurd, obviously, especially because she has been Liam’s best friend for years, but she usually forgets that Liam is a royal. It’s difficult to forget that about Robert, who has such a dignified demeanor and it’s everything one would’ve imagined about a royal figure.

At the end, they talk about Jasper Frost. Something that Willow would’ve never guessed.

“So how is he?” Beck asks as if his life depended on her answer.

Willow frowns, surprised at the odd edge of his voice. She guesses he had something with Eleanor once, or maybe he just has an unrequited crush on her. She would be surprised if it’s the latter because he’s so handsome that he probably has never met the pains of unrequited love.

“I’m not lying when I say I don’t know Jasper Frost. I don’t.”

“She will get tired of him, or he will break her heart – whatever happens first,” Robert says, taking a sip of his butterbeer.

“You’re very pessimistic.” She says. Robert opens his mouth but Willow interrupts him, “Please, don’t say you’re realistic. I expect a better come back from you. And, anyway, she looks happy and that’s what matters, isn’t it?”

“Eleanor always looks happy – she rarely is. She is strong, most of the time, but at the same time she’s very vulnerable.” Robert shakes his head. “He will break her heart. Just wait and see.” He doesn’t say anything else, but Willow and Beck can still hear his unsaid words: ‘And then, I will kill him.’

“In that case, let her make her own mistakes. She will thank you for it, believe me.” She doesn’t know why she feels so passionate about this discussion. Maybe it’s the feminist in her, or maybe Robert’s know-it-all attitude rattles her.

“A brother has the obligation of looking over his sister,” Beck says. It’s quite a convenient position for him in this particular situation. Willow is pretty sure he wouldn’t have thought the same if it were him hanging from Eleanor’s arm.

Buck finishes his butterbeer and shakes his empty jar, “Does anyone want more?” When Willow and Robert shake their heads in a silent ‘no’, Beck stands up and walks toward the bar.

“Just let her make her own mistakes and see what happens.” It should feel weird to give advice to Robert Henstridge, but she’s starting to get used to it.

“When you’re a royal, you pay double for your mistakes,” Robert says.

“Okay.”

“Okay? That’s all? Aren't you going to argue it? Aren’t you going to tell me that I am a lucky bastard or that I was born with a golden spoon?”

“No. I understand what you mean.”

He looks at her with surprise, and Willow thinks it’s the most unguarded gaze she has ever seen in his eyes. It makes her proud – what a silly notion. And despite it, she feels tempted to poke him with words, maybe to try to get an answer with more emotion than reason. She doesn’t know why, but she wants to see the human behind the stern facade.

“But your good intentions don’t really give you the right to mess with their lives. Do you give them the same courtesy?”

Robert looks at her eyes and sees the defiance in them. He takes a long sip of his butterbeer.

“I don’t think I’m following you.” He says, and Willow knows that he’s lying. He’s giving her the chance to backtrack. She doesn’t know if it’s the sugary butterbeer or the warmness of the place, but she feels fearless.

“Did Liam and Eleanor have a say in your relationships? Did they approve of Kathryn, for example? Or did you two break up because Liam or Eleanor said so?”

Willow expected anger, arrogance or even indignation – and she sees a little bit of fury, but it doesn’t seem to be directed at her. No, there’s another more overwhelming emotion: pity.

“You really don’t know. Do you?” Robert asks, in a whisper.

“What?” Her fight spirit immediately deflates and she feels lost under Robert’s pitiful gaze. _Why pity_ , she wonders, _what do you know that I don’t?_

Suddenly, he stands up. “Come with me.”

She doesn’t move. “Why? Where are we going?”

“Come with me.” He says again, and there’s something in his gaze that pushes her to obey. She stands up and follows him as he walks toward the entrance of The Three Broomsticks.

“What about Beck? Shouldn’t we tell him we’re leaving?”

“He’s a big boy, he will be fine.”

+++

“This is where you wanted to take me?”

Madame Puddifoot’s Tea shop is an insult to the senses: Pink walls, dim lights, a cramped space and floating golden spots. But it’s the only place that could be considered romantic in Hogsmeade – and that’s why it’s crowded with affectionate couples.

Robert doesn’t answer, but he enters the Tea shop with confident steps. Willow, feeling quite out of place, follows him.

Madame Puddifoot approaches them as soon as she sees Robert. “Two royals in one day! It has to be my lucky day.” She says with a big smile.

“Do you have a free table for two? In the most romantic and private corner, if possible.”

Willow frowns – most romantic and private corner? She wonders if Robert is mocking her or Madame Puddifoot.

The woman nods with excitement. “Of course, there’s always a table here for Robert Henstridge.” She says. Robert uses one of his most charming smiles, and Willow can’t help but roll her eyes.

Madame Puddifoot guides them to a small table against one corner. It’s so small that their knees rub against each other unwillingly. Willow tries to forget about the small space that separates her from Robert and grabs the menu to distract herself.

“Please, tell me this isn’t a date.”

He laughs, “Would that be so horrible?”

She shows him the menu, “The cakes are heart-shaped.”

And in that exact instant, she understands why they’re there – because she sees it with her own eyes. Liam is sitting at a table on the other side of the room – and in front of him sits Kathryn Davies. Their hands are entwined and they talk with their faces so close that there’s no room for doubt: Kathryn Davies is the mysterious girl.

Willow hides her face behind the menu and is thankful that Liam and Kathryn are so busy looking at each other that they haven’t noticed her presence.

She supposes her nervousness is showing because Robert says. “Calm down and order something to eat. It’s on me.”

In any other moment, she would’ve argued to split the check, but right now she can’t think. She looks at the menu and she can only see the heart-shaped cakes.

Madame Puddifoot approaches their table with one of her big smiles, “Well, have we already decided?”

“We’ll share a pumpkin cake, and bring two teas, please,” Willow says. She’s trembling and her heart beats at an incredible speed.

“What kind of tea?” Madame Puddifoot asks. Willow looks at Robert, imploring for his help as if ordering the tea was a death-or-life mission. She feels like they’re interpreting a theater play.

“Two Witch’s Hour teas, please. And bring honey with it.” Robert says.

Madame Puddifoot writes it down and leaves.

“I guess you want an apology.” Willow whispers. After all, it seems like Liam did have something to say about Robert and Kathryn’s relationship.

“Not really. You didn’t know.” Robert answers, surprisingly calm.

“So what happened?”

“Now you want to know.”

“Well, I feel kind of involved in it now,” Willow says, although she isn’t sure her words are fair. Robert seems to agree because he nods.

“I found them kissing in the greenhouse. I had had a big argument with Kathryn that morning, so big that I wasn’t even sure if we’d broken up. I guess Kathryn thought we had – and she didn’t lose her time.”

Willow braved a look at the couple.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

Madame Puddifoot comes back with the cake and the teas, and places them on the table. She looks at Willow with scrutiny and the girl immediately feels uncomfortable.

“She’s a pretty one, and the ones that look real too, not those plastic dolls boys like.” She says to Robert as if Willow wasn’t there. “I would say she has the face of a queen. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Willow blushes, feeling mortified. Robert, however, seems to be enjoying her discomfort. “Yes, I would say so.” Robert answers.

Willow hadn’t stopped to think what everyone would assume if they saw them there together. Madame Puddifoot wasn’t especially discreet – the face of a queen! – What a silly thought, what an obvious indirect. Willow looks at Liam’s table again and this time, she finds out with horror that Liam and Kathryn are looking at them. They seem utterly surprised.

Robert has his back to them but he seems to read in Willow’s face what is happening. “Ignore them and eat cake.” He hands her a spoon.

Willow accepts it and brings some cake to her mouth with it. She isn’t surprised to find that the flavor is too sweet. “I want to leave.” Willow whispers.

“I know, but if we cause a scene, we lose and they win… don’t let them see it affects you. Eat and drink, don’t look at them.”

Willow nods and she drinks her hot tea. It helps. “How do you do it?” Willow asks. She’s surprised to see that she doesn’t need to elaborate, Robert understands her at once.

“Perks of being a crown prince living in a palace full of vipers. You have to learn to hide your feelings, to keep your composure when you’re nervous and sometimes to become a viper just like them.”

“I suppose it’s a useful skill, but it sounds quite sad.”

He eats a little bit of cake before answering, “I am the saddest man on earth. I just don’t show it.” He smiles, and Willow isn’t sure if he’s joking or being honest.

They stay for a little while, eating the cake and drinking their tea too slowly for Willow’s taste. They talk about trivial things and other things not so trivial.

Finally, Robert sets aside his teacup, puts some galleons on the table and stands up. He stretches out his arm to offer his hand to Willow. She looks at it, perplexed, and when she takes it, he guides her outside with fast steps – as if they were excited to get to their next destination. She supposes they look like a happy couple from the outside.

+++

As soon as the cold breeze hits her face, Willow starts walking fast towards Hogwarts. She’s running away from something or someone – but she doesn’t know if it’s from Liam or from Robert.

It doesn’t really matter, she supposes. The only one who follows her is Robert.

“Willow, wait.”

Willow doesn’t wait. She doesn’t stop or even turn around. “I didn’t want to see that. You shouldn’t have taken me there. Why didn’t you just tell me?”

“One has to see with their own eyes. It gives you perspective.”

“Well, I don’t fucking like my new perspective. I felt uncomfortable, and everything tasted too sweet, and everything was pink and…”

“I knew you had feelings for him. But I thought you were stronger than this.”

That makes her stop in her tracks. She turns around and looks at him.

“Now you insult me.” _How do you dare?_ She wants to ask. _Who do you think you are?_

“I am just being honest.”

“Bullshit. Was this a big trick? Did you follow me to Honeydukes? Did you think at first that they could be in The Three Broomsticks and that’s why you invited me there? What? Did you use me to make Kathryn jealous? To get back at Liam?”

What infuriates Willow is that he doesn’t seem worried, angry or even surprised by her accusation. No, he’s looking at her with amusement and even admiration. He’s fucking smiling – and she hates it.

“I think you are right. I suppose I was using you, but it wasn’t a premeditated plan. I promise. It just happened – I didn’t know what I was doing until I was doing it.” Willow crosses her arms. She isn’t completely convinced. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy spending time with you. Liam is a lucky guy, you’re a good friend.”

That’s what she always is: ‘A good friend.’ Nothing less, but also nothing more. It shouldn’t bother her that Robert also considers her just a friend, but it does.

Maybe it was safer and lighter when they were two semi-strangers talking about the people they had in common. This discussion feels personal – it’s not really about others, it’s about them and whatever they are.

“I am sorry for what they did to you. Okay? But that’s not my fault.” She starts walking away, expecting Robert to stop her, but he doesn’t. Once again, she feels infuriated by him – She doesn’t understand him but she thinks she could with time. So she stops and walks back to him as she says: “You should’ve asked me. If you wanted to make them jealous, you should’ve asked me to help you.”

“And you would’ve helped me?” Robert asks. For the first time, Willow gets the reaction she expects: Surprise, even astonishment. And she feels proud of her achievement.

“Yes, if I know and approve of your motivations, why not?”

He doesn’t answer immediately and she feels like she’s being studied. For a moment, she wonders if he can read her mind and dissect every one of her cell brains.

“Okay.” He says, simply.

“Okay?” Willow asks, confused.

“Yes. Okay. I will ask you in the future…”

“Good.” She says, although she doesn’t really understand what she’s agreeing to. Does that mean he will ask her to help him make Kathryn jealous?

And then, Robert does the most unexpected thing: He opens his bag of sweets and takes out two licorice bars. He offers her one and Willow takes it – because her mouth still tastes like a heart-shaped pumpkin cake.

Her anger suddenly dissipates, and she only feels curiosity. “Where did you buy licorice?”

“In Honeydukes.”

“They don’t sell muggle sweets.”

“They do now. I asked them too many times if they had licorice. They finally have.”

Willow looks at him from the corner of her eye. They both start walking to the castle, their elbows almost touching.

“And they just brought it to the shop because you’re Robert Henstridge, the future king of England.” Robert shrugs. “Sometimes it’s just so easy to hate you.”

She doesn’t have a doubt that that phrase is true for a lot of people, but not for her. She feels unable to hate him – maybe it’s because he intrigues her or maybe it’s because he’s the most honest liar she has ever met.

They walk back home and she wonders if they’re strangers, acquaintances, friends or something else.

Something in the middle. Something without a tag. Something that can’t really be explained.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think?


End file.
